Wednesday, 29 April 2009

In his book Curious? Todd Kashdan outlines his case for us developing a sense of curiosity over and above simply learning from our most positive experiences. He argues that we need to pay equal attention to the times when we are in our element and the times when we may feel negative and uncertain, if we are to create a ‘rich, meaningful existence’. The book is a joy to read.

You can get a look at the premise of the book in this interview. Within the piece he says:

We don’t talk enough about the value of introspection, being curious about the self. You can’t do goal-setting or strength-spotting without introspection. And you can’t get there without curiosity.

Monday, 6 April 2009

Self-determination theory suggests that optimal functioning and well-being results from three basic psychological needs – autonomy, competence and relatedness. Through reflecting and analysing achievement patterns and identifying strengths, people appear to develop a sense of choice in their career and a degree of confidence in their ability to deliver results in appropriate contexts.

Through a strong coaching or mentoring relationship people can also explore their career choices and construct a stronger motivational base for their endeavours. A sense of relatedness to a coach or mentor may for some be the missing ingredient in their motivational pie – the extra stimulus to take action rather remain introspective?